1986 trial batch of lynxes

[Bob]

I was never lucky enough to go on one of these,  I know they were gardner engined and wondered did they sound completely different to the cummins production batch?  Also did they not stay in wolverhampton long and get moved to brum? And werent they withdrawn & stored prematurely?  I remember them being refurbished & reinstated about 1992

[richie]

I'm sure a couple made it to the training fleet

[John]

I'm sure a couple made it to the training fleet

I'm sure they ended their days at Lea Hall, and yes one was in the training fleet (C61 HOM). may have been more than 1

[winston]

I'm sure a couple made it to the training fleet

I'm sure they ended their days at Lea Hall, and yes one was in the training fleet (C61 HOM). may have been more than 1

Yes they were refurbished & saw out their final days in service at LH. I think all six became driver trainers i.e. 9061-66 C61-66HOM

9061 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/8260910936/
9062 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/44483738@N05/5206614826/in/photostream/
9065 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/35618528@N04/3870809297/

They used to operate the 202 in to Halesowen when nearly new

[lynx1103]

They all left Lea Hall around July 1998 and ended up at Tranning fleet .
Until Febuary 2001 then being replaced by F DDa batch

1069 1071 1072 1073 1074 1076

1061 remained in the fleet

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/7433040980/in/photolist-cjQh7Y-cjQeEJ-bTJoee-bBXM19-ehhwdP-ehoi1G-dAi1M3

1062-South Birmingham College

1063/1064/1066 Oxford bus company driver trainers
1065 remained in the fleet later gaining Travel Coventry driver trainer livery.

1064/1066 later moved to Wootens converted back to
Passenger use for school services.

A great batch of fleet rode them many times on 14/71. They was replaced following Washwood Heath closure in late June 1998

While In Service at Lea Hall

1061

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/7433032730

1062

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/7433034112/in/photolist-cjQf5y-cjQgPN-cuNxMj-cbpa8f-ehhyxM-9sfqay-9scz7X-8tcEhs-bHgig4-9wSCa1-6bj7sf-brjEuG-bEeVei-bEeWfz-crUHs1

1063

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/7433039528/in/photolist-cjQgFW-drNqVk-drBg3q-dsUaj5-daYdym-ekhoCa-ccHBLo-aWEM88-cDM4eh

1064

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/7433039220/in/photolist-cjQgAC-daYdAj-e47JLE-8QEwRK-dyndWs-5kgxYG-54ak42-a27UXE-7GEtNA-bEELXr-bEEM4F-cFLwWh-cFLwvC-bBXLX3-ehi4RR-acUsFJ-e7RZsg

1065

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/7433035054/in/photolist-cjQfmN-bAP4Xu-daYdBd-cjQgmu-b5FHFe-b5FSeF-8b77z3

1066

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59615439@N03/7433037196/in/photolist-cjQfZJ-aWEMa2-7xmUnd-daYdD3-ehWPDq-f7UhED-9toCuv-aARMFk-9rQ22T-cbraAo-cFeZg9-ehi8vg-eB6uSa

[Bob]

Did they sound a lot different to the cummins lynxes? And did they have semi auto boxes when new later converted toauto matic?

[winston]

Did they sound a lot different to the cummins lynxes? And did they have semi auto boxes when new later converted toauto matic?

Bob,

1064 C64HOM with Wootten

[Gareth]

1064 had been saved for preservation and there are videos on YouTube somewhere of some work being done to it. Not sure of its current sate though.

1066 was always my preferred bus out of the batch, but I did get a chance to drive 9062 at PL open day. A childhood dream coming true.

[richie]

1065 must have lasted longer than feb 2001 as it was in Travel Coventry colours

[lynx1103]

Yes 1061/1065 did last longer I think 1065 spent some time at travel Dundee then came to West Midlands in travel Coventry livery I think 1065 went 2006 not sure about 1061

[andy]

Did they sound a lot different to the cummins lynxes? And did they have semi auto boxes when new later converted toauto matic?

Yes Bob they did sound and drive completely differently. The engine had the sound of a cross between the Gardner engines of a National 2 and an early Olympian, was much more sluggish than the Cummins with a far more laborious gear change. To my knowledge they were always fully auto. I used to drive the ones that Stevensons had.

[Stevo]

They has an experimental Leyland fully auto box, a four speed with a throttle dip; the throttle was closed during the gearchange. There was no torque converter as in Vouth and ZF boxes, just a fluid coupling. In fact the gearbox was a lot smoother than the ZF. The box never went into production and Leyland decided to standardise on the ZF.

I rode on them on the 145 and they were not too bad, but later went on one on Lea Hall and the ride was so bad it was frightening.

[andy]

They has an experimental Leyland fully auto box, a four speed with a throttle dip; the throttle was closed during the gearchange. There was no torque converter as in Vouth and ZF boxes, just a fluid coupling. In fact the gearbox was a lot smoother than the ZF. The box never went into production and Leyland decided to standardise on the ZF.

I rode on them on the 145 and they were not too bad, but later went on one on Lea Hall and the ride was so bad it was frightening.

The gearbox was definitely smoother but the trouble was the throttle was closed for so long that by the time the new gear had kicked in you had lost half your momentum, the engine would then labour and it would kick back down again. The result was a constantly confused gearbox and tediously sluggish bus.